COOKING & NATURAL FABRIC DYEING WORKSHOP

18-23 OF JUNE 2019

Imagine to find yourself on a beautiful and untouched Greek Island for 5 full days, living the real Andros dream. Mèlisses seafront accommodation will be the dreamy setting for delicious cooking classes, natural fabric dyeing lessons and much, much more.

You will be cooking and enjoying wonderful sea view feasts, exploring the island of Andros, relaxing outside by the pool while admiring your beautiful died linen creations swinging outside, enlightened by the sun. Andros’ surroundings will be the masterpiece of our workshop, taking full advantage of all its bounty. We’ll cook incredible meals with the best local produces, familiarise with new techniques and dye Irish linens with wild flowers and plants foraged from the most colourful fields of the island.

Join us for a full 5 days workshop with Allegra Pomilio, Emiko Davies, Kathryn Davey and Marco Lami.

This workshop is open to all levels, from enthusiasts to professionals. We’ll be hosting a small group of participants in order to allow everybody to learn and practice as much as possible. Our lovely Emiko Davies will teach you how to prepare homemade seasonal dishes, with local ingredients combining them beautifully, turning each meal into a beautiful mediterranean feast; Kathryn Davey will introduce you to natural dye and steam bundling techniques, allowing you to experiment with the basics in preparing fabric, dye baths, modifiers, mordants etc. to create a beautiful range/palette of colours naturally & sustainably.

Allegra Pomilio will take you visiting local producers, little villages across the island; secluded beaches, to make you familiar with some of the most beautiful and secret places of Andros. Marco will host some special wine tasting classes, because everybody knows that at Mèlisses we really love Aperitivo!

Here’s some more practical information about the workshop:

Where:

Mèlisses, Andros, Greece.

When:

June 18th-23rd , 2019;

Check in: from 3 pm onwards;

Check out: from 12 pm onwards.

Our Hosts:

Emiko Davies, half Japanese, half Australian has spent most of her life living abroad and for over a decade she has called Italy home. She has now written and photographed three cookbooks, Florentine, Acquacotta and the latest, Tortellini at Midnight, which continue to demonstrate her love of regional Italian food. Emiko continues to write about food and travel on her blog, as well as for popular New York based website Food52, and publications such as Gourmet Traveller and Conde Nast Traveller. She will join us with her sommelier husband Marco Lami, who has been working in Australia’s top restaurants including The Press Club, Rosetta, Builder’s Arms and in Tuscany at Michelin star restaurants Il Pellicano and now Il Palagio at The Four Seasons. Marco will also be hosting some very special Greek wine tastings during our workshop.

We couldn’t have asked for a better couple !

Kathryn Davey is a self taught designer and natural dyer living in Dublin, Ireland. Her journey into the amazing world of sustainable plant dyes began with Indigo dyeing which led her to teach Indigo & Shibori workshops in the Bay Area & beyond. Her commitment to sustainable production led her to create a line of luxurious, naturally dyed Irish Linen textiles for the home. Kathryn is passionate about natural dyes, textiles and the integrity of true craftsmanship. She loves sharing the joy & magic of plant dyes with others & teaches ongoing natural dye workshops in Dublin & abroad. Each of her creations are dyed by hand using natural dye extracts, creating natural, sustainable and non toxic products to you & the environment.

Allegra Pomilio our culinary host has been working in the field for many years. She assisted and spent time in Mimi Thorisson’s kitchen, in the heart of the French countryside. She spent two years honing her skills, studying at the Alain Ducasse Academy, as well as attending many prestigious Italian chef’s classes. Her photography and visual art background studies combined with her passion for food found perfect balance in Andros. Greece is her second home and Mèlisses is her continuous source of inspiration, gathering like minded people together to discover the wonders of the island, each time, under a different perspective.

Letitia Clark is a trained chef turned home-cook, illustrator, and writer. Her various kitchen jobs subsequently included head baker, pastry chef and chef-de-partie at Spring, pastry chef and chef-de-partie at Ellory (now Leroy) and grill chef at Morito, Hackney.At the moment she lives between Sardinia and England and she’s currently working on her first (illustrated!) recipe book, Bitter Honey, which will be published in Spring 2020, as well as a book of food cartoons.

All activities and excursions, including all transfers on the island to and from the house*;

Full use of Mèlisses facilities.

Activities:

Visits of Andros’ most beautiful villages and sightseeings.

Island’s excursions;

Getting to know and documenting local producers;

Emiko’s cooking masterclasses;

Kathryn Davey’s natural dyeing and steam bundling classes;

Meals in a local taverna;

What’s not included in our workshop:

Airfare and/or Transportation to & from the island.

Accommodation:

At Mèlisses, everything is aimed to endorse the local flora and fauna; the house is located in the exclusive and majestic bay of Paleopoli. There, underwater, you can still see the old city, once the main harbour of Andros. The bay is opposite the extraordinary scenery of Ghiaros’ island, which is still today considered legendary and protected for its marine wildlife.

The property is completely isolated with its private access to the sea. All around the house there is quietness and peace. The property has been realised by the best team of landscape designers and architects, completely respecting the surroundings by using local plants and rough stones, creating a continuous harmony with the environment. Mèlisses is surrounded by crystal waters and countryside, where wild figs and grapes grow uninhibited, together with plenty of fruit trees and its own vegetable garden.

Not to mention the elegantly thought interior design, a mixture of Hellenic antique furniture combined with a hint of Italian extravaganza.The outdoor area is designed to seduce all guests thanks to its breathtaking sea view. Enjoy a good swim in the crystal waters of the sea or in one of its natural sea water pools while relaxing under the pergola shade, pampered by the Aegean breeze.